Joint support and construction making use thereof



April 21, 1936. QC AH E 2,037,872

JOINT SUPPORT AND CONSTRUCTION MAKING USE THEREOF Filed May 27, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet 2 l L P ATTORNEY UNITED I STAT-ES JOINT SUPPORT ANDCONSTRUCTION MAKING'USE THEREOF While the improvements tion are moreparticularly useful with. pavements and sidewalks, bridge floors and togeneral construction work where joints are necessary.

adapted to Carl C. Ahles, Albany,

Steel 8; Malleable Iron N. Y., a corporation of New PATENT- OFFICE N.Y., assignor to Acme Works, Inc., Buffalo,

York

Application May 27, 1933, Serial No. 673,199

12 Claims.

of the present invenin connection floors, they may also be As regardspavements or floors where slabs of concrete are most usually containfillers often employed, the joints of suitable material, which in somecases are preformed of a suitable composition and in other cases ispoured bitumen or the like,

the material, such as allowed to set. In some instances the. jointsextend m'erely transversely of a pavement, while in other instances theywith the pavement.

also extend longitudinally The joint openings areof various width incases where. a filler is used, so

as to endeavor to obtain a continuous wear surface.

Eiforts have been made to keep joints in a pavement perfectly sealed sothat water will not pass through the joints to the sub-grade, but it hasbeen found more or less difiicult to keep the joints so sealed that thesub-grade will not be flooded after a rain. In stretches where thedrainage of the sub-grade is poor and where the pavement is subjected toconsiderable heavy truck travel, one end of each slab is likely to beforced below grade. The front end of each'slab facing against thedirection of traffic is the end which is subjected to the greatestimpact and load, so that this end is slowly forced out gradual lowerinof alignment because of the of the surface of the sub-grade or sub-soilby erosion, consolidation or compression, the result being slab may beforced a half an inch that the front end of the or more below gradewithin a comparatively short time, depending upon the character-of thesub-grade, the

the drainage conditions.

Also, it is found that the relative positions of adjacent slab ends areoften reversed when frost penetrates the The rear end of the below gradeand does additional support to vation, although it keep the slabs oneach side of a sub-grade to any great extent.

slab is not very often forced not ordinarily require any keep it at therequired eleis at all times desirable to joint in perfect grade in orderto prevent cracking and spalling at or near the joints. Therefore, oneof which all highway designing engineers are concerned is, with regardto concrete pavements as well as concrete foundations provide jointswhich for pavements, to construction, con- Concrete slabs are but areeither joints.

if built continuously,

years to carry the stresses from one side of a joint to the other andstill leave the joint free to move in order to take up the expansion andcontraction of the pavement due to into the joints and the principalpoints with inches in thickness, that cracks occur a number of feet backfrom the end of the slab. These cracks are believed to be caused by thehigh speed heavily loaded vehicles, which set up stresses andvibrationsand cause movement in a slab to such an extent that thesub-grade or sub-soil is displaced and the slab bent down until thecrack occurs. These cracks largely occur in the oncoming slab, so thatif the joint at the slab is high, it is hit with a tremendous impact,and if it be low, considerable impact. The pavement once cracked, spallsand disintegrates much more rapidly than the remainder of the pavementto an alarming extent.

' Efforts have been made to provide pavements with sheet metal jointsupports of considerable area, apparently with the thought of overcomingsome of the difficulties, but there are a number of objections to suchtype of supports. Among these objections it is found that the sheetmetal is either so thin that the joint supports formed therefrom are aptto easily corrode and hence lose their supporting strength, or are aptto warp and get out of true, or if they are made of substantialthickness, they are very difficult to handle because of their weight andbulk.

An important object of the present invention isto in part at leastovercome the difliculties by providing a metallic joint supportingmember which, while it is comparatively light in weight, is very strongand is efficient and durable in use,

the load drops onto it with a,

on-coming veniently handle it and apply it in its position for use, andhe is able to expeditiously place a large number of the improvedsupportsin position.

' An important object of the invention and a matter of primaryconsideration is to have a pavement containing joint supports which areanare so constructed and arrangedthat the load can be transmitted acrossthe joints of the pavement, such supports at the same time holding theslabs at each side of the joints at the same uniform grade asconstructed, thereby presenting a smooth riding surface and reducing andpossibly eliminating all impact at the joint, and also making thesupporting power of the pavement practically continuous.

Another object of the present invention is to firmly embed the jointsupports in the slabs at each side of the .joint, and to construct thesupports with protruding supporting portions which extend underneath theadjacent slabs so that the slabs mutually support each other, or tolocate the joint supports in the adjacent portion of one chored in theadjoining ends of slabs and which slab so as to extend under theadjacent slab, in all cases leaving the slabs free to move laterally,but still holding the slabs in the same general horizontal plane.

Other objects of the invention are to provide simple, emcient andeconomical joint supports for economical anchorage in an application toslabs where they are separated by joints, whether the joints are tocontain fillers or not.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to theaccompanying drawings illustrating desirable embodiments of theinvention and in which l is a partial vertical section of a concretepavement of the usual type provided'with the improved joint supports,which are shown in elevation, one of them. being in full lines and theother in broken lines;

2 is an enlarged view of the joint support in plan;

3. is an end elevation thereof as viewed from the left;

a cross-section on the line'4d, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a portion of a pavement showing a modifiedform of joint support in elevation;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of such port on line @--6, Fig. 5;

Fig. i is a diagrammatic plan illustrating a number of slabs providedwith the improved joint supports of Fig. 1, and

81s a plan view partly broken away to illustrate how the improvedjointsupports may be used on the outer edges of the slabs to hold themagainst going out of lateral alignment edgewise of the pavement.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the preferred construction of improvedjoint support includes a. bar or rod ii), an abutment member 6! and asupporting member l2. Bar i0 is shown as straight and elongated andforms an anchoring member. Abutment member ll extends perpendicularly toone end of the bar E0, while supporting member I? is in the form oi ablade extending perpendicularly to the abutment member. The side edges53 of the abutment member are inclined towards each other from thesupporting member F2 to the bar it so as to taper it gradually and todistribute the metal properly without unnecessary excess.

It may be found desirable to round off at M, 55, respectively, the backsurfaces of the abutment member ii and the supporting member l2 so as tothicken them and to provide reinforcement for the joint support. Theback surfaces referred to are those surfaces which are outside of theinner angle formed between the abutment member if and the supportingmember 22. A strengthening web it; may be found desirable to reinforcethe inner angle between the bar 90 and the abutment member M, as shownin Fig. l. A similar strengthening web may, if found desirable, beprovided in the inner angle formed between the abutment member ii andthe supporting member 82. The bar to is terminated preferably by alateral enlargement or head ii to resist longitudinal movement of thejoint support when it is in use.

Each joint support is preferably cast or forged in one piece, althoughit may be found desirable to form the support of two or more separatepieces, to be later joined by proper mechanical means; or to form thesame of sheet metal propmodified sup aoeasva erly designed, formed andshaped to provide elements corresponding in function and advantages tothose of a cast or forged joint support. The proportions of the partsmay be such that the overall length of the bar l0, plus the thickness ofmember H, is approximately nine inches, the bar having an approximatediameter of three quarters of an inch. The dimensions of the blade inboth directions thereof may each be three inches, and from the outerside of the bar ill to the inner surface of the supporting member l2 maybe four inches. "Preferably the adjacent inner surfaces of the abutmentmember ii and the supporting member l2 are flat. Of course thedimensions of the parts may be varied according to requirements.

In Fig. l the improved joint supports are shown in connection with partsof construction Work, as, for example, a pavement of a. highway. Thesub-soil or bed 58 may be such as is afiorded naturally or as in somecases it may be formed artificially. Slabs I9, 20 usually of concreterest upon the sub-soil or bed l8 and provide the Wear surface of thepavement. These slabs vary in dimensions in various sections of thecountry and usually extend transversely of the highway so as to providetransverse joints 2! while sometimes the pavement is also provided withlongitudinal joints. The present invention is more particularly adaptedfor use in connection with joints 26, especially where the slabs arespaced apart for receiving a filler 22. The filler 22 may be composed ofbitumen or other filling material poured into the joint and allowed toset thereafter, or the filler may be preformed. Such fillers allow thejoint to expand and contract due to varying conditions.

The preferred manner of constructing a pavemerit according to thepresent invention is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 7 whereportions of two slabs I!) are shown as adjoining a slab 20 which isbroken away lengthwise on account of the varying lengths of the slabs inproportion to the width of the pavement across the highway. Thereference numerals are the same as applied to the previously describedfigures in so far as numerals are necessary, except that as Fig. 7 is aplan of the improved pavement, it shows the improved joint supports 23extending at suitable intervals and at the adjacent portions of theslabs. The supports 23 are preferably arranged in more or less evenlystaggered relation, as shown. The joint supports may also be arranged inpairs, quite close together or abutting in each pair. In Fig. 1 twojoint supports are illustrated, one of them being in full lines and theother in broken lines, as it is offset from the former laterally.

It is obvious from Figs. 1 and 7 how the improved joint supports arepavement.

been positioned to that of their ultimate position.

It will be seen that the ultimate position of the joint supports is suchthat the bars to extend in opposite direction from opposite sides of ajoint, for a considerable distance into the slabs I9, 28, so that whenthe concrete has set, the said bars are solidly anchored in the slabs.The abutment member H is shown extending downwardly from the bar in sothat its preferably fiat inner surface coincides with the correspondingsurface of the slab in which the support is anchored, although the exactcoincidence of these apart along the joints one piece therewith derneathand support the adjacent ends of the surfaces is not necessary. Theabutment member II is shown extending to the bottom of the joint and theblade-like supporting member I2 extends across the joint and for aconsiderable distance directly underneath thebottom of said slab l9.in'g member I2 is embedded for a suitable distance in the sub-grade orsub-bed and that it supports the adjacent end of the slab I9, althoughthis supporting member |2 may be partly or wholly embedded in theconcrete of slab l9. It is assumed that the direction of trafiic isacross the joint 2| and towards the slab 20, as in such case the slab 20is the one which is apt to deviate from the desired perfect grade, andit will also be seen that as the slab l9 rests at the adjacent end uponthe supporting member l2, it resists any tendency of the slab 20 to moveupwardly, While on the other hand, when and if a companion joint supportof a pair is embedded in the concrete slab member l2 will act to supportthe adjacent end of the slab 20 so that it will not move downwardly. Ifthe trafiie be ony in one directionit may not be found necessary to usepaired-joint supports, but as on most highways the trafiic is in bothdirections, it. is very desirable that the joint supports be paired sothat the slabs at opposite sides of a joint 2| will act to mutuallysupport each other. When the pavement is subjected to expansion orcontraction it will be clear that the ends of each slab are slidinglysupported by the supporting member l2. The fillers 22 are placed inposition in the joints in the usual way and each filler will abut themember II.

The construction and joint support may be modified depending upon itsspacing, the thickness of the slab, the nature of the sub-grade orfoundation bed and the load expected to be carried. It will be seen thatthe improved joint supports, especially when embedded in the pavement inpairs, or the'equivalent thereof, tend to keep the slab on each side ofthe joint at grade and to prevent cracking and spalling at or near thejoints,whether or not the adjacent ends of the slabs are reinforced.

These improved joint supports are so constructed, designed andproportioned, that they may be conveniently andexpeditiously handled andapplied by the workmen on the job, thereby not only facilitating theconstruction work, but

providing with a relatively minimum amount of metal, great strength,durability and great reliability in a pavement of a highway inparticular which may be equipped with the improved joint supports.

Referring to Figs. and 6, slabs of concrete pavement are illustratedwhich are supported by a modified construction of joint support. Herethe anchoring bar 24 is of a length somewhat greater than the length oftwo anchoring pairs II]; that is to say it is a bar long enough to beembedded in adjacent portions of two slabs and to extend across thejoint.

an abutment member 25 at the approximate mid-length of the bar 24, whichextends downwardly to the bottom of the joint and is there terminated byoppositely extending.

blade-like supporting members 26, 21. As the parts are all preferablyformed in one piece, a two-way joint support is provided without thenecessity of using two separate joint supports, inasmuch as the oppositeend portions of the bar 24 will be firmly embedded in the concrete andthe supporting members 26, 21 will extend un- Hence it will be seen thatthe support- I9, its supporting design of the improved I There is formedin slabs.

In Fig. 8 the improved joint supports are shown as useful in anotherrespect than hereinbefore described. Here it will be seen that the slabs28, 29 are separated by an expansion joint filler 30, but the jointsupport as hereinbefore described is turned through an angle of ninetydegrees; that is to say, although the anchoring bars II) are embedded inslab 28 in the usual way, the members ll, I2 extend laterally of the bartowards opposite sides of the pavement of the highway, so that theblade-like supporting members l2 fitagainst the outside edges of theslab instead of upon the bottom of the slab. When the joint supports areapplied in this manner, they prevent individual slabs from movinglaterally out of alignment, or the shifting of a slab which often'occurson slippery clay sub-soil or on side hills where settlement occurs andcauses a dangerous and unsightly condition. From the description andillustrations it is obvious that the present invention is directedtowards an advance in the art, and that the invention is susceptible tomodifications other than described and shown, without departing from thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is,- I 1. A metallic joint support, including an an-I choring member and a bracket at one end of the anchoring member,having a supporting blade and an abutment member extendingperpendicularly to the plane of the blade and to the anchoring memberand connecting the two, and the anchoring member and blade extending ingenerally opposite directions from the abutment membenthe abutmentmember gradually tapering off at its opposite edges towards theanchoring member and the greatest width of the abutment member beingwhere it joins with the supportng blade.

2. A joint support, formed from one piece of metal, and including ananchoring member and;

a bracket at one end of the anchoring member, having a supporting bladeand an abutment member extending substantially perpendicularly to theplane of the blade and to the anchoring member, the anchoring member andblade extending in generally opposite directions from the abutmentmember, and the blade extending laterally away from opposite sides ofthe anchoring member, the blade and abutment member being reinforced andthickened substantially throughout across the backs thereof bytransversely raised portions and the reinforcement extending around theouter corner formed by the abutment member and blade.

' 3. A joint support, formed from one piece of metaLand including ananchoring member and a bracket at one end of the anchoring member,having a supporting blade and an abutment member extending substantiallyperpendicularly to the plane of the blade and to the anchoring member,the anchoring member and blade extending in generally oppositedirections from the abutment member, and the blade extending laterallyaway from opposite sides of the anchoring member, and a strengtheningweb in the inner corner formed between the anchoring member and theabutment member and connecting the anchoring member and abutment member.

4. A joint support, formed from one piece of metal, and including ananchoring member and a bracket at one end of the anchoring member,

having a supporting blade and an abutment H member extendingsubstantially perpendicularly to the plane of the blade and to theanchoring member, the anchoring member and blade extending in generallyopposite directions from the abutment member, and the blade extendinglaterally away from opposite sides of the anchoring member, and meansprojecting laterally from the anchoring member for embedment with theanchoring member in the concrete of the road and resisting longitudinalmovement of the anchoring member when the support is in use.

5. A metallic joint support, including an anchoring bar, rigid'means onthe bar and extendin perpendicularly from its middle portion, and a pairof supporting members offset from the bar and extending in oppositedirections from the rigid means.

6. The combination with a plurality of concrete slabs arranged edgeopposite edge to provide a pavement or floor having a joint between theedges, of supporting bars embedded in the adjoining slabs and eachprovided with depending rigid means, and a pair of supporting membersextending in opposite directions from the rigid means in supportingrelation to the adjoining slabs.

7. The combination with a plurality of concrete slabs arranged toprovide a pavement or'the like having joints between the edges, ofsupporting bars embedded in the concrete of each slab at one side of ajoint, each bar having a downward abutment member at such joint and eachabutment member having at its lower end a supporting blade which extendsaway from it in opposite direction to the bar and across such joint indirect supporting relation to the slab at the opposite side of thejoint, the blade also extending laterally away from opposite sides ofthe bar, each bar with its abutment member and blade formed from asingle casting, and the abutment member gradually tapering oil at itsside edges up toward the bar so that the greatest width of the abutmentmember is where it joins with the blade across the width of the blade.

8. The combination with a plurality of concrete slabs arranged toprovide a pavement or the like having joints between the edges, ofsupporting bars embedded in the concrete of each slab at one side of ajoint, each bar having a downward abutment member at such joint and eachabutment member having at its lower end a supporting blade which extendsaway from it in opposite direction to the bar and across such joint indirect supporting relation to the slab at the opposite side of thejoint, the blade also extending laterally away from opposite sides ofthe bar, each bar with its abutment member and blade formed from asingle casting, the blade and abutment member of each bar beingreinforced and thickened substantially throughout, across the backsthereof, by transversely raised portions, and the reinforcementextending around the outer corner formed by each abutment member and theblade.

9. The combination witha plurality of concrete slabs arranged to providea pavement or the like having joints between the edges, of supportingbars embedded in the concrete of each slab at one side of a joint, eachbar having a down ward abutment member at such joint and each abutmentmember having at its lower end a supporting blade which extends awayfrom it in opposite direction to the bar and across such joint in directsupporting relation to the slab at the opposite side of the joint, theblade also extending laterally away from opposite sides of the bar, eachbar with its abutment member and blade formed from a single casting, anda strengthening web occupying the inner corner formed between eachsupporting bar and its abutment member and connecting the bar and theabutment member.

10. The combination with a. plurality of concrete slabs arranged toprovide a pavement or the like having joints between the edges, ofsupporting bars embedded in the concrete of each slab at one side of ajoint, each bar having a downward abutment member at such joint and eachabutment member having at its lower end a supporting blade which extendsaway from it in opposite direction to the bar and across such joint indirect supporting relation to the slab at the opposite side of thejoint, the blade also extending laterally away from opposite sides ofthe bar, each bar with its abutment member and b'ade formed from asingle casting, and means projecting laterally from each bar andembedded with the bar in the concrete to resist longitudinal movement ofthe bar, the abutment member and blade thereon.

11. The combination with a plurality of concrete slabs arranged toprovide a pavement or the like having joints between the edges, ofsupporting bars embedded in the concrete of each slab at one side of ajoint, each bar having a downward abutment member at such joint andopposite direction to the bar and across such joint in direct supportingrelation tothe slab at the opposite side of the joint, the blade alsoextending laterally away from opposite sides of the bar, each bar withits abutment member and blade formed from a single casting, the abutmentmember gradually tapering oil at its side edges up toward the bar sothat the greatest width of the abutment member is whereit joins with theblade across the width of the blade and a strengthening web'occupyingthe inner corner formed between each supporting bar and its abutmentmember and connecting the bar and the abutment member.

12. The combination with a plurality of concrete slabs arranged toprovide a pavement or the like having joints between the edges, ofsupporting bars embedded in the concrete of each slab at one side of ajoint, each bar having a downward abutment member at such joint and eachabutment member having at its lower end a supporting blade which extendsaway from it in extendmg laterally away from opposite sides of the bar,each bar with its abutment'member and blade formed from a singlecasting, the abutment member gradually tapering oil at its side edges uptoward the bar so that the greatest width of the abutment member iswhere it joins with the blade across the width of the blade and astrengthening web occupying the inner corner formed between eachsupporting bar and its abutment member and connecting the bar and theabutment member, and the blade and abutment member of each bar beingreinforced and thickened substantially throughout, across the backsthereof, by transversely raised portions, and the reinforcementextending around the outer corner formed by each abutment member and theblade.

- CARL C. AHLES.

